Let’s just forget the first half. That, essentially, was Drew Gooden’s advice to his teammates at the intermission. Washington started the game out of sync, committing five turnovers in the first five minutes, and it did not get much better after that. The Wizards ended the half down 42-37. Twelve turnovers led to 21 Utah points. Luckily, the game lasts 48 minutes.

The story of the night was the third quarter. John Wall came out of the locker room like a wrecking ball and the Wizards followed his destructive path all the way to the final buzzer. Washington erased the deficit in the first four minutes of the second half and then closed the third quarter on an 18-7 run to take a 67-58 lead. Wall scored or assisted on five of Washington’s eight made field goals during the run.

Wall was a blur in transition. Utah Jazz coach Quinn Snyder remarked after the game that “we were looking at their backs when they were turning it over.” Wall’s speed and ball movement was a thing of beauty and proved contagious. Marcin Gortat, Paul Pierce and Bradley Beal all registered assists in the third quarter, creating three easy baskets at the rim.

Washington’s turnaround was not all about the offense, though. Wall was just as destructive on the defensive end. He ended the game with five steals and three blocks (victimizing Trey Burke once and Enes Kanter twice), and he disrupted countless other plays. After the game Wall said he is playing the best on-ball defense of his career:

“Definitely, hands down, just being aggressive and trying to fight over screens and not quitting on plays. I think when I play this type of defense it gives my teammates more motivation and makes those guys step up and play better and it’s something I have to keep being consistent for 48 minutes, 82 games.”

But wait, there’s more. Despite everything written above, the most impressive effort of the night goes to the Professor. Andre Miller put on a spectacular display of old man moves. In the second quarter he put Joe Ingles in the washer and spun so many times Ingles fell down.

Miller saved his best for when it mattered most. Andre started the fourth quarter with a steal and three baskets in the paint, sandwiched around a Beal jumper and Nene layup. First, Miller hit a driving finger roll; then he skied for a rebound in the paint with a put-back; finally, he shook his defender with a slow motion, two-handed pump fake and then stepped into the lane for a leaning 10-foot jumper.

When it was all said and done, Washington walked away with its franchise-record 12th home win in 14 attempts. Just another day at the office for these Wizards.

The Bullets.

Trevor Booker was reserved as usual before the game but his eyes lit up and he smiled when he was asked if he has been talking trash with any Wizards players. Booker said he talks to Kevin Seraphin and was looking forward to their showdown. Seraphin got the best of Booker in the fourth quarter when he caught the ball under the basket and Booker tried to wrap him up with an intentional foul but Seraphin broke free and hit the layup with the foul.

Before the game Booker joked that he told his teammates all of Washington’s secrets and that he expects to win by 30.

Trevor went to the free throw line in the fourth quarter with a chance to give the crowd free chicken like his former teammates Andray Blatche and JaVale McGee did on their most recent visits to the Verizon Center. Booker missed his first attempt then noticed a sudden departure from the cheers he heard earlier in the game. “It was great—the fans were shouting my name from the crowd—except for when they wanted Chick-fil-A. I thought that they were booing me until I thought about that it’s the fourth quarter on the free throw line, so they wanted me to miss two so they could get a sandwich. I hope that was all that is was anyway.”

Kris Humphries and Enes Kanter were going at it all night. The tension boiled over with 21.9 seconds left in the game when the pair got tangled on a rebound attempt and Humphries was whistled for a technical foul.

John Wall seemed to be attacking Dante Exumat every chance. I asked Wall after the game if he was sending a message to the rookie. “No, I just think when you are a rookie you try to play extra aggressive defense and I was giving what he gave me. He tried to pressure up and most guys don’t play me that close, so I just got by him.”

More Vine.

Adam grew up in the D.C. area and has been a Washington Bullets fan for over 25 years. He will not refer to the franchise as anything other than the Bullets unless required to do so by Truth About It editorial standards. Adam spent many nights at the Capital Centre in the ‘90s where he witnessed such things as Michael Jordan’s “LaBradford Smith game,” the inexcusable under-usage of Gheorghe Muresan’s unstoppable post moves, and the basketball stylings of Ledell Eackles.

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Truth About It.net, Washington Wizards Blog, ESPN TrueHoop Network -- Following the D.C. pro basketball franchise since the 90s and covering them in blog form since 2007 -- Opinion, Analysis, Irreverence, Pictures, Video, Interviews, Photoshops, News, Video, Quotes, Shares, and all the pixels about the Washington Wizards you can imagine.